It’s true. Most New Year’s resolutions never see the light of day. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make one.
Setting goals are important for everyone, especially caregivers. It’s no secret that you have a tough job. If you don’t care for yourself, it could mean the difference of a good year or a strain of bad events.
When sitting down to set your goals for the coming year, stay focused on what matters most to you and go after small wins. Make your goals achievable, yet impactful.
Here are a few common caregiver resolutions I’ve experienced from our professional caregiver network over the years:
- Focus on health, both mental and physical (e.g. exercise more, set aside a few extra moments of silence a day, take an hour for yourself each week, eat more healthful foods, etc.)
- Try new things - get out and see the world!
- Get more caregiver training - the more you know, the less stressful caregivers report their job to be
- Find a support network - connect with others walking in your shoes
No matter what your resolution, keep your goal achievable. If you don’t keep a resolution, it’s likely not because you’re lazy. It’s probably because you took on too much. Here are a few tips to stick to your resolution:
- Break your goals into small, manageable chunks
- Write down your plan and post it in a place you’ll see it daily
- Share your goals with friends and family (and even publicly on Facebook)
- Talk about it with friends. You can even Tweet and Facebook your goals; sharing with others is a great way to stay accountable
- Make it fun
To all caregivers, best of luck to you this New Year!
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